Staff Picks
DiandraWhy We Sleep
Matthew Walker, PhD
Synopsis: Walker answers important questions about sleep: how do caffeine and alcohol affect sleep? What really happens during REM sleep? Why do our sleep patterns change across a lifetime? How do common sleep aids affect us and can they do long-term damage? Charting cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and synthesizing decades of research and clinical practice, Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood, and energy levels; regulate hormones; prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes; slow the effects of aging; increase longevity; enhance the education and lifespan of our children, and boost the efficiency, success, and productivity of our businesses. Clear-eyed, fascinating, and accessible, Why We Sleep is a crucial and illuminating book.
Diandra Says: A thought-provoking book that delves into the possibilities of why sleep developed and is necessary for survival. Why We Sleep gives a thorough explanation of the stages of the sleep cycles and also gives a detailed look into the impacts of insufficient sleep. Readers will walk away with a better understanding of what happens when we sleep and a few tips on how to ensure a good night's rest. Available only on OverDrive
Diandra's Past Staff Picks
DonnaGreat Expectations
Charles Dickens
Synopsis: In what may be Dickens's best novel, humble, orphaned Pip is apprenticed to the dirty work of the forge but dares to dream of becoming a gentleman and one day, under sudden and enigmatic circumstances, he finds himself in possession of "great expectations." In this gripping tale of crime and guilt, revenge and reward, the compelling characters include Magwitch, the fearful and fearsome convict; Estella, whose beauty is excelled only by her haughtiness; and the embittered Miss Havisham, an eccentric jilted bride.
Donna Says: It is a classic tale that many have read, heard of, or perhaps watched the movie. Many consider this work to be Charles Dickens best and Dickens stated he believed it was his best. It covers the familiar themes of love, rejections, wealth, and poverty using multi-faceted characters. It would make a satisfying holiday read. Call Number: CLA F DIC
Donna's Past Staff Picks
Elizabeth The Swerve
Stephen Greenblatt
Synopsis: Nearly six hundred years ago, a short, genial, cannily alert man in his late thirties took a very old manuscript off a library shelf, saw with excitement what he had discovered, and ordered that it be copied. That book was the last surviving manuscript of an ancient Roman philosophical epic, On the Nature of Things, by Lucretius a beautiful poem of the most dangerous ideas: that the universe functioned without the aid of gods, that religious fear was damaging to human life, and that matter was made up of very small particles in eternal motion, colliding and swerving in new directions. The copying and translation of this ancient book fueled the Renaissance, inspiring artists such as Botticelli and thinkers such as Giordano Bruno; shaped the thought of Galileo and Freud, Darwin and Einstein; and had a revolutionary influence on writers such as Montaigne and Shakespeare and even Thomas Jefferson.
Elizabeth Says: The Swerve is an intriguing book about a trip to the library that might have started the Renaissance. No one really knows what started the Renaissance, and really it just wasn’t one person/event that started us on the path out of the dark ages. But that being said this a wonderful bit of narrative nonfiction. Perfect for the Read More 2019 categories: A Pulitzer Prize winner or Microhistory.
Elizabeth's Past Staff Picks
MeganBad Times At The El Royale
Synopsis: The El Royale is run-down hotel that sits on the border between California and Nevada. It soon becomes a seedy battleground when seven strangers a cleric, a soul singer, a traveling salesman, two sisters, the manager and the mysterious Billy Lee converge on a fateful night for one last shot at redemption before everything goes wrong.
Megan Says: Bad Times at the El Royale is simply iconic. It has elements of a Tarantino film coupled with the quirkiness of films like The Grand Budapest Hotel. Yet, it is completely original in its art and style. It will keep you guessing and completely invested. This is a film that I will absolutely watch over and over. I can’t wait to see what crazy world director Drew Goddard creates next.
Megan's Past Staff Picks
NinaSkin Game
Jim Butcher
Synopsis: Mab, queen of the winter fae court, has just traded Harry’s skills to pay off one of her debts. And now he must help a group of supernatural villains led by one of Harry’s most dreaded and despised enemies, Nicodemus Archleone to break into the highest-security vault in town, so that they can then access the highest-security vault in the Nevernever. It's a smash and grab job to recover the literal Holy Grail from the vaults of the greatest treasure hoard in the supernatural world—which belongs to the one and only Hades, Lord of the freaking Underworld and generally unpleasant character. Worse, Dresden suspects that there is another game afoot that no one is talking about. And he's dead certain that Nicodemus has no intention of allowing any of his crew to survive the experience. Especially Harry.
Nina says: If you’ve been holding off reading the last Dresden Files novel until there was news of the next, wait no longer. The publisher has the manuscript, so it’s safe to catch up. Harry’s up to his usual hijinks in an Ocean’s 11-inspired plot, and fans who’ve missed Michael will be thrilled to see him back in action. You’ve never met Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Chicago’s only professional consulting wizard? Storm Front is book one. Call Number: SFF F BUT
Nina's Past Staff Picks
RandallAtomic Habits
James Clear
Synopsis: James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work.
Randall Says: Where Duhigg’s The Power of Habit focuses more on the psychology and scientific research of habits, Atomic Habits sets out to provide a practical framework for behavior change. The principles here are general enough that you can apply them to your personal life or the workplace. Recommended to those looking for practical advice on achieving their goals.
Randall's Past Staff Picks
SwaneetBossypants
Tina Fey
Synopsis: Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.
Swaneet Says: I’ve enjoyed Tina Fey’s work on screen, from Mean Girls to 30 Rock to her legendary days on SNL, so it’s no surprise that I adore her musings on comedy and life in Bossypants. This book had me cackling page after page with Fey’s self-deprecating humor. It’s a perfect read to combat the stress of the holiday season, or if you just want to laugh for two hundred pages.
Swaneet's Past Staff Picks